SHILLONG : Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday said incidents of tension along the Assam-Meghalaya border were not new, stating that such skirmishes had occurred periodically since Meghalaya attained statehood.
His statement came in the wake of the recent tension at Maikhuli along the inter-state border.
“These border skirmishes have been happening for the last 54 years since our statehood. It is not something that happened yesterday or the day before yesterday,” Sangma told reporters.
The Chief Minister said such incidents occur from time to time because of tensions, differences over certain areas and misunderstandings along the border.
He said the state government was communicating and coordinating with its Assam counterpart at different levels to ensure that the situation returns to normal.
“In the long run, the best and the only solution is to actually find a permanent solution to this,” Sangma said.
However, he acknowledged that resolving the long-standing border dispute would not be easy, given that the issue has remained unresolved for decades.
Sangma said the government had made progress in some areas and would continue working towards finding solutions in the remaining areas of difference.
“As you know, in some locations we have been able to make some steps forward and find some kind of resolution. We will continue to work towards finding resolutions for others also,” he said.
The Chief Minister described the border issue as a difficult subject and noted that successive governments had been unable to resolve it completely over the past 54 years.
He said the government would continue its efforts towards a permanent settlement while also focusing on resolving local issues whenever tensions arise.
“More importantly, ensure that whatever differences and problems that come up, we resolve at the local level to ensure that there is peace,” Sangma said.
The Meghalaya government has also been coordinating with authorities in Assam following the Maikhuli incident, with both sides discussing measures to prevent local disputes and misunderstandings from escalating.